8 Keys to Heal Hypothyroidism

Dr. Axe: Hey, guys. Dr. Josh Axe here with the Jordan Rubin. Today, we’re talking about eight secrets to
heal hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and really, any type of thyroid conditions. So, Jordan, I’m super pumped about today’s
topic. We’re going to talk about the best essential
oils, herbs, vitamins and supplements that are going to help people that are being plagued
with hypothyroidism. So, Jordan, there are so many people struggling
with thyroid issues today. Talk a little bit about maybe the epidemic
that’s going on. Jordan: Absolutely. There are estimates of as many as 20% of all
women that deal with thyroid issues. Now, this is not exclusive to women, but it’s
common for women. You might say, “Well, I’ve not been diagnosed
with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or hypothyroid.” Well, nearly half the people with hypothyroid
are undiagnosed. We used to hear about basal temperature and
different tests you can do. But if you’ve got brain fog, if you’ve got
mild to moderate depression, dry skin, if you have gut issues, and just a general feeling
of malaise of listlessness, you likely need to balance your thyroid. Dr. Axe: Absolutely. Jordan: This is not about necessarily a disease. It’s about bringing you in the balance. So, right now, if you know anyone who’s depressed,
who lacks energy, there’s a whole host of other conditions that go along with it . . . Dr. Axe: Slow metabolism, weight gain? Jordan: Absolutely. We talk about that, “Why am I overweight? It’s my thyroid.” Well, this sluggish metabolism is really related
to thyroid. And we have some amazing, I would say, hidden
keys that can transform your health if you want to balance your thyroid, and really,
everybody does. Dr. Axe: Yeah, absolutely. Jordan: And also feeling of coldness, clammy
hands and feet. I see that with children now, where children
are very, very . . . and I have so many children. They all have different temperatures, but
that’s a big one, cold or clammy hands. I know people that shake hands and they’re
embarrassed because they say, “Oh, my hands are so clammy.” That’s really a clue. And this is not just about being overweight. I know as many or more women who are underweight
that have hypothyroid. Dr. Axe: Absolutely. You’re truly right. Jordan: Hair falling out is another one. There are so many issues that are caused by
this. Dr. Axe: Yeah. A lot of women one of the first keys I knew
that they were having hypothyroidism as they noticed that their hair was thinner than it
should’ve been. That’s a huge thing. So, all of these tips we’re going to go over
today are going to help those things. Jordan: Metabolic disorders, we’ll go into. Infertility is big with PCOS and it’s all
related. And we’re going to do a show upcoming in the
next few weeks on adrenal health, Addison’s disease, but same thing where there’s Addison’s
disease, but then there is the common adrenal fatigue. In fact, these are all huge topics. Every female over 40, I believe, needs help
with their thyroid and their adrenal. So, if you know anyone over 40 and as I mentioned,
teenage girls, young women who are dealing with this, the best time to improve your thyroid
is today, whatever age you are. So, there’s still time. We haven’t even started unveiling these eight
keys that are going to transform your thyroid health starting today, and none of this involves
medication, a prescription, or even hormone manipulation, let’s say. So, these are all natural, easy to use treatments,
if you will. Dr. Axe: Absolutely. Let’s dive right in here, Jordan, with number
one on the Eight Keys to Heal Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s disease, and all of these
things, in general, are also going to help things like PCOS, adrenal fatigue, and other
issues. Well, Jordan, let’s talk about number one,
thyroid-boosting foods. I’ll let you start. Jordan: Now, there’s many, so we’ll go back
and forth here. I think that when you are dealing with thyroid
issues, it’s really important to have the right protein and the right structure of your
body. So, I’m going to say bone broth is my top
food for boosting the thyroid. And when you talk to thyroid experts, they
talk about amino acid deficiencies: proline, glycine, and glutamine. Remember, bone broth holds you together. And what’s great about bone broth, and we’ll
talk about some other foods later, you can combine other thyroid-boosting foods into
it. So, we’re going to talk . . . I’ll give another
clue. Salmon is a major thyroid-boosting food, high
in protein, high in fat, loaded with antioxidant and Omega-3s. Wild-caught sockeye is my favorite, but you
can get king salmon, many others, as long as it’s wild. Fish soup is really, really awesome for thyroid. Why? Because it also has iodine in it which we’re
going to talk about as one of our key nutrients. So, bone broth from chicken, turkey, beef,
bison, lamb, but fish broth is absolutely huge because it also has iodine. So, the two foods that we’ve already named
are bone broth and salmon. Now, your turn. Dr. Axe: Yeah. I got, actually, a quick question here. Someone says, “What if I don’t like seafood,”
from Jessica. Jessica, if you don’t like seafood, there’s
a couple things you can possibly do. One, you still want to get broth. Maybe don’t do fish broth, but chicken bone
broth and beef bone broth are great. Also, I’d say this. You know, sometimes you can kind of . . . I
don’t want to say sneak into the food because fish has a very specific taste, but you know,
I found doing things like . . . if you don’t like grilled salmon, trying salmon patties
or salmon croquette, or mixing it in with eggs. I mean, there are some things you could . . . adding
it to a salad. There are some things you can do there. But if not, make sure you’re definitely getting
broth and, probably, taking a fish oil-type supplement there as well. Jordan, one of my favorite foods for nursing
the thyroid are seaweeds. You know, different types of algae, whether
it’s kelp, spirulina, chlorella, these foods are rich in iodine as we’ve talked about. Also, they’re very nutrient dense food. Now, one of the things we’re going to talk
about, another secret we will share later is sort of the specific type of diet that
Jordan and I recommend. But the type of diet that I know that I love
when it comes to nourishing the thyroid is one that is very nutrient dense, very high
in vitamins, minerals, especially B vitamins as well. Jordan, there’s a great study I read actually
this morning on Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in getting more thiamine and B12 and other B
vitamins. Actually, it’s been shown to help both autoimmune
disease and the thyroid. And so, I think a lot of people today are
deficient in certain B vitamins and really going after on your food, getting things like
Jordan talked about fish, grass-fed beef, I think, is fantastic to the thyroid. Jordan: Eggs are a great source of B vitamins,
particularly the yolk, and they’re great with brain-boosting phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine,
phospholipids. And we didn’t talk about this, but here’s
another powerful food and this is coming up quite a bit, fish roe or caviar because . . . and
so sorry if you don’t like fish, but fish roe or caviar has great phospholipids for
the brain. Remember, we said thyroiditis, hypothyroid,
often is correlated with depression. So, fish roe or fish caviar, also loaded with
iodine. If you look online what is the number one
nutrient associated with thyroid issues, it’s iodine and this is a great way to get it. And when it comes to kelp, kelp is a name
for a general class of seaweed. Bladderwrack is most particular in its source
of iodine for thyroid issues. And what’s great? Make a bone broth, put sea veggies in it. Put seaweed in your bone broth. Some people like sushi or sashimi. You could do a brown or black rice roll that
has nori wrapped in it. So, we’ve got seaweed and salmon inside it. So, that would be a great Japanese-influenced
thyroid-boosting meal. Avocado is also great as well. Dr. Axe: Yeah, Jordan, completely agree. Another thing I love is doing a greens power
in your smoothie or specifically, spirulina. You know, we talked about spirulina and chlorella,
all the benefits, doing a shot of that a couple of times a day, absolutely fantastic here. So, we’ve got wild salmon. We’ve got bone broth. We’ve got seaweed. Jordan: Fish roe, R-O-E. Dr. Axe: There we go. So, we’ve got fish roe. You know, the other thing I would say here,
Jordan, are foods that are or berries that are very, very dark, specifically cranberries
and blueberries, and pomegranates, very dark in nature, contain anthocyanins and other
antioxidants that may, in fact, support thyroid health as well. So, we’ve got berries here. Any other foods you want to add to this list
before we jump in to our key nutrients? Jordan: I think there is going to be a very
great interest in fat which we’re going to talk about a little later, and we want to
call that out specifically. But when you’re consuming foods that are naturally
high in beneficial fats, you’re always going to be better off. So, these are some of the top foods to support
thyroid health. Dr. Axe: All right, here we go. Keys number two, the top nutrients that you
need here to support that thyroid. Jordan: You already mentioned B vitamins,
but there’s really three nutrients that, I believe, most people that have clammy, cold
hands and feet, thinning hair, mood swings, dry skin, metabolism issues, otherwise known
as hypothyroid or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, three nutrients that I believe are most important. One we talked about is iodine. A good absorbable source of iodine is very
important. It’s really great to get tested so that you
know how much iodine you need, but a normal iodine supplement, again, from a good source
is really, really beneficial. Number two is selenium. A lot of people, particularly the more severe
your thyroiditis is, are deficient in selenium. And selenium is one of the only nutrients
that has a cancer claim on it. So, consumption of selenium may reduce the
risk of certain cancers. That’s right on the supplements called the
health claim. Number three, vitamin D. I don’t know what
percentage this is, Josh, but so many women and men who deal with thyroid issues are deficient
in vitamin D. So, that’s a powerful nutrient for you to consume. And we did mention B vitamins. You talked about thiamine and B12, I believe,
so these are going to be very, very important. Dr. Axe: All right. So, we’ve got B vitamins here, we have iodine,
we have selenium, and we have vitamin D3. What is a typical clinical dose of some of
these things, specifically selenium and vitamin D? Jordan: This is something that really does
vary because selenium is in micrograms. You got to be very careful. So is iodine. And so, what I would recommend as a general
rule just to get started is one to three times the RDA. So, the RDA is usually expressed in a percentage. So, when it comes to selenium, 200 micrograms
to start. You can increase that. I believe that iodine is in the . . . Dr. Axe: 100 to 300. Jordan: Yeah, 100 to 300, 120 is a really
good dose. And vitamin D, I think almost everybody, especially
the season we’re going into, fall and winter, could use 5 to 10,000. And if you’re deficient in vitamin D, your
doctor may even recommend as high as 50,000. You’ve got to get your vitamin D levels where
they need to be. And you know what else is great for the thyroid
that’s not on here? Sunshine. Dr. Axe: Oh, big time. Jordan: Because sunshine is as good for the
thyroid as it is for anything. So, get sun, especially in your eyes. Not staring into the sun, per se, but make
sure that you’re not wearing sunglasses. Sun is great for they thyroid. Dr. Axe: Will this help Hashimoto’s disease? Absolutely. In fact, Jordan, what percentage or around
the percentage do you think of people that have hypothyroidism actually have Hashimoto’s
thyroiditis? Jordan: I think people are now believing about
25% of those with diagnosed hypothyroidism have Hashimoto’s which is an autoimmune disease
where parts of your body are attacking your thyroid. Now, I have certain opinions about autoimmune
disease. I think it’s really triggered with toxicity
both from the environment and the diet. I don’t believe the body was designed to attack
itself, but this chronic inflammation, this expression of bodily breakdown, is referred
to as an autoimmune disease. And I don’t want people to freak out. And think about this, we all have heard of
it as, in the old days, Hashimoto’s goiter, because you might be watching and saying,
“Well, I don’t have a big bump on my neck.” That’s severe deficiency, particularly, iodine
and other nutrients. But so many people have undiagnosed subclinical
hypothyroidism and one of the easy ways to check is to do an underarm temperature first
thing in the morning, because a lot of women are in the 96s. And you do this based upon your cycle as well. If you’re menstruating, it’s going to change
anyway. But I believe if you’ve got thinning hair,
depression, dry skin, trouble losing weight, focusing, concentrating, you likely have thyroid
imbalance. It’s time to balance it. Start with foods then with nutrients, and
specifically, this is quite a bit . . . Dr. Axe: Huge. Jordan: Well, I don’t want to say this is
the biggest because all of these are so important, but adaptogenic herbs are in such great need
for people that have thyroid issues. Dr. Axe: Yeah. Jordan I’m a huge fan of adaptogenic herbs. We’ll list several here. I’ll write a list up here. One of my favorites, Jordan, which I know
is one that we’re both going to touch on is ashwagandha, sort of known as one of those
crown jewels in ayurvedic medicine today. And there are some great studies specifically
on it supporting specifically TSH levels in the body, T3, T4. And the amazing thing about adaptogenic herbs,
Jordan, is that . . . I also read in one of these studies is they did a really comprehensive
review of several studies done on ashwagandha and the incredible thing is that it also help
cortisol. They found that in the studies. But they found even people with low cortisol
helped and people with high cortisol. So, adaptogenic herbs, or you need to call
adaptogens because they help your body better adapt and deal with stress, but they don’t
necessarily force your body to do one thing or the other. They help bring your body back into balance. Jordan: Absolutely. And there are several ashwagandhas as good
as it gets, and it is spelled a few different ways. So, we’ll see if Josh can spell it right the
first time. The second adaptogenic herb we want to recommend
is rhodiola rosea, otherwise known as golden or arctic root. Josh says it’s pretty cool, but a good friend
of mine, the late Dr. Zakir Ramazanov, brought rhodiola to America. It’s amazing. This man was a pioneer in Russian or former
USSR herbs, let’s just say. But rhodiola rosea was actually used by Russian
cosmonauts to help them get acclimated to the reverse gravitational or anti-gravity
effect that you experience in space. Rhodiola is great for athletes, but it’s great
for people that have mild to moderate depression. Rhodiola rosea is amazing, probably slightly
behind ashwagandha, but really, really good. It has some different benefits. What’s great about adaptogens is the more
you combine, the better you do. So that’s two. You’ve got ginseng. Ginseng is a little bit aggressive. It’s a heating herb. And so, if you’re somebody who’s weak, listless,
has a weak pulse, pallor complexion, ginseng is good for you. But there are different kinds of ginseng. There is panax Korean or Asian ginseng which
is powerful. There’s American ginseng which is a little
more balanced. And then, there’s an herb called eleuthero
which used to be known as Siberian ginseng. Those are all adaptogens. Ginseng used to be so popular. I don’t know if you remember. It’s still pretty awesome. There are ginseng extracts that are worth
thousands and thousands of dollars, and it’s just a really cool herb. Holy basil is another great adaptogen. Schisandra berry is a great adaptogen. It has all five flavors, and yes, there are
five flavors. And if you want to improve your thyroid, start
consuming naturally sour and bitter foods as well. You’ll find those in schisandra. So, adaptogenic herbs are very, very important. So, detoxifying herbs. Most researchers believe that the increase
in thyroid issues: hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, Hashimoto’s, is due to toxins. So, detoxifying herbs, particularly of the
liver, are very important. Now, you wouldn’t normally think milk thistle
for thyroid, but I think milk thistle and turmeric which supplies sulfur compounds are
really, really good for detoxifying your thyroid. So now, notice, adaptogenic herbs balance
the body, whereas, we’re calling these detoxifying herbs important components to help remove
toxins from the body. Now, we know, Josh . . . he’s hiding right
there writing, but we know that heavy metals can be a big issue with thyroid. Most people that have thyroiditis or hypothyroidism
are also high in lead, cadmium, mercury, or arsenic, and it could be from a lot of things. In fact, many people will recommend getting
your dental amalgams, your mercury fillings, removed. Now, always do that under the care of a biological
dentist. But heavy metal issues are big. So when you’re looking at detoxifying herbs,
milk thistle, turmeric, and the single-celled micro algae chlorella. We talked about that before. You know what else is great? Now, this isn’t even an herb. This is something that in ayurvedic medicine
is more of a healing substance called shilajit. Shilajit is a substance. It’s almost like dirt-like substance that
is made up decomposed plant material over thousands of years and it binds heavy metals
through fulvic acid and other sources. And down here, cilantro is a great herb to
detoxify heavy metals, and broccoli seed is great to detoxify everything to boosting the
liver space to detoxification. So, adaptogenic herbs, detoxifying herbs . . . Dr. Axe: All right. So, we’re going to put a few more down here. I’m going to list of dandelion down here as
well, another great detoxifying herb. Jordan: Dandelion is bitter. So, remember when I said consume naturally
sour and bitter substances, bitter helps the liver. Now, obviously, some things are bitter because
they are poisonous, but a non-poisonous bitter helps the liver. We talk about digestive bitters before meals
stimulating gastric secretions. It sounds pretty cool. Parsley is a great detoxifier as well similar
to cilantro, although cilantro maybe a little stronger in its affinity for mercury. Dr. Axe: And another one you love, what about
watercress? Jordan: Watercress is awesome, but it could
be mildly goitrogenic. So, in fact, if you’re going to consume a
cruciferous vegetable, watercress is the best, but it may contain a little bit of compound
that could cause issues with your thyroid. Most people, if their moderate or mild in
their thyroid condition, can consume watercress. It’s getting more popular, by the way. Dr. Axe: Absolutely. All right, we’ll jump on the five here. I want to do a . . . I want to answer a comment
that somebody is asking a question about “What about bentonite clay and charcoal?” I’m going to give you my opinion on this. I think those can be beneficial, especially
if somebody has diarrhea, forms of IBS. I think with this, in particular, you do need
to be aware and cautious with doing too much charcoal especially, and maybe with clay,
but even more with charcoal, that it does bind the things and even some minerals in
the body. And so, you need to be careful. If you have Hashimoto’s or hypothyroidism,
overdoing any type of charcoal for detoxification, my preference would be doing more of these
herbs instead. Jordan: Yeah, and shilajit. We didn’t write down because you don’t always
spell it correctly, so . . . but shilajit actually is really good. Okay, essential oils. Speaking of which, there are several essential
oils that are realty good for the thyroid, but I know three in particular. So, I won’t make you guess them, but I’m going
to say the first, and it’s frankincense. How many times do we have a list of essential
oils that we mentioned frankincense? Every time, but frankincense is great. Boswellia, which is the Latin name for frankincense,
is great for the thyroid, great to support healthy inflammation, and it has to be the
king of the essential oils. Can’t get enough frankincense, pour it on
my head every day. It’s just awesome. Any citrus essential oil is great. You need more of them every day. Lemon is really good. Another thyroid-boosting essential oil, what
do we have? I’ve got one in mind, but what’s here? Dr. Axe: One of the things that comments and
this is what I was going to say is Tiffany says, “Lemongrass.” Lemongrass is a fantastic detoxifier. Part of its benefits are getting rid of parasites
within the body is one benefit. There’s actually another one that’s even better
other than that. But lemongrass also really has an ability. It’s known as being purifying and cleansing. You know, Jordan, I love making a lemongrass
soup. I had a few drops of lemongrass oil making
a soup with coconut milk . . . Jordan: That’s a great base for a fish soup. Dr. Axe: Oh, there you go. Jordan: So, we’re going to get to that in
a little while. But combining coconut product which is great
for the thyroid, fish, seaweed, and lemongrass, you are there. I’m going to add peppermint. Peppermint is a great essential oil for the
thyroid, smells wonderful. Now, you can inhale these oils. You can use olfaction the olfactory nervous
system. You could also consume them. When you use essential oils for thyroid, particularly
internally, look for certified organic and look for oils that are labeled as a dietary
supplement. I would be consuming frankincense, lemon,
lemongrass, peppermint, and chamomile for the thyroid as much as humanly possible. Dr. Axe: Yeah. And one of the things I want to mention, one
of the reasons I love Roman chamomile especially is that Jordan, part of the reason why people
can develop thyroid issues and organ issues, in general, is emotional stress, just during
those times when you’re really stressed out. I think this is why a lot of women around
childbearing age or after their childbearing years tend to develop thyroid issues, is there’s
so much stress, so much going, going, going nonstop, just very stressful on the body. So, chamomile and lavender, both of those
oils I love because they just relax the body. They reduce stress. You know, I love having patients do a couple
of Epsom salts in a bath with about 20 to 30 drops of lavender or chamomile oil just
to relax and distress. It is so beneficial for the thyroid. Jordan: And lavender is probably the other. And again, if you look at frankincense and
lavender, I don’t know anything that they don’t benefit. But lavender is great, as Josh mentioned,
for stress and to help balance the body. So, those are some power essential oils for
the thyroid. Folks, there are many keys out there to heal
hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s. This is not an all-inclusive list. In fact, we’re going to do a follow-up program
in the future, but if you will take hold of this information and apply it, you’re going
to benefit in so many ways. You might be saying “I don’t have hypothyroidism. I’m not cold and clammy. I don’t have thinning hair. I don’t have energy loss. I don’t have overweight issues.” You can still benefit. Dr. Axe: Or digestive problems. Jordan: You can still benefit from these recommendations. So, what’s next? This is a big one. Dr. Axe: Oh, yeah. Jordan: Medicinal mushrooms. Now, we talked about adaptogenic herbs and
I’m trying to be very correct in my kingdoms. Now, folks, you may not realize this from
biology, but there are six kingdoms and fungi or mushrooms, they’re not a vegetable as you
may have been told. They are a kingdom under themselves and there
are two that are great for the thyroid. One in particular is reishi. Reishi mushroom is what they would call the
bomb for hypothyroidism. Reishi has been used for thousands of years
called the mushroom of immortality, and it is truly amazing. Well, we’ll give you lion’s mane. Lion’s mane mushroom is great for the brain,
lion’s mane for the brain. It’s also super cool, tastes good. You know what’s awesome? Lion’s mane tastes kind of like chicken. It’s great in broth. They use it in all kinds of recipes in China
and Japan. The third is cordyceps. Cordyceps and reishi are ultimate adaptogens. I got to tell you, Josh, per performance,
if you look at cordyceps, reishi, combined with rhodiola, ashwagandha, ginseng, you are
going to the moon. Not in a stimulant fashion, but those are
just amazing. They are prized around the world. And how many of you, be honest, have consumed
reishi, cordyceps, or any of these on a daily basis? Now, first of all, reishi is not really known
as a culinary mushroom. It’s a medicinal mushroom. And cordyceps comes from a unique place, so
not typical to that someone’s going to go find a winter moth summer mushroom. But either way, these are powerful. Think adaptogens when you think thyroid issues. This is amazing because now we’ve got medicinal
mushrooms, essential oils, detoxifying herbs, adaptogenic herbs, foods, and there’s more. What’s next? Dr. Axe: Actually, I do want to mention this,
just a recipe I . . . Jordan: Put it back in the cage. Dr. Axe: Another recipe idea here quick. Jordan, one of the things I did as we talk
about maybe a little bit about Chinese medicine here, patients with thyroid issues in the
past, I would actually have them make a broth and add miso to it along with shitake mushrooms. Now, we know shitake isn’t necessarily as
powerful as cordyceps and reishi. But again, if you want to actually do this
as food, going to your local health food store and buying shitake mushrooms are still beneficial. Jordan: They could be a three-kingdom soup. Think about this. So, you’ve got bone broth or surf and turf
soup. You’ve got bone broth which is from the animal
kingdom, whether it’s fish, chicken, beef, turkey. You’ve got fungi, so shitake which is an edible
culinary mushroom, tastes wonderful. And then, seaweed which is . . . Now, no,
hold on. I think I have to correct myself. Seaweed, I don’t even believe, is a vegetable. I think it might be in the protists kingdom. So, we’re up to four kingdoms. This is going to be a cool recipe. We got to put that down. So, you’ve got seaweed, and then, you can
add vegetable. We talked about that before. Coconut would be great because that’s in the
plant kingdom, so . . . Dr. Axe: Here we go. All right, number seven, probiotics. You know, probiotics are crucial for the health
of not only your thyroid, your gut. You know, Jordan, one of the things that I
know that you and I really believe and have done over the years in taking care of clients
or patients is not just addressing the symptoms, but addressing the root cause of disease. And so often, and if this has ever been you,
hey, can we get a yes or an amen, or give us your quick story or rundown here? Have you ever been to a doctor and you go
in there, maybe it’s a thyroid issue, maybe it’s a hormone issue or something else, and
they just give you a medication to treat your symptom, and you never get better? They never go and actually address the root
cause of what you’re suffering from or what’s causing your disease. And Hippocrates said over 2,000 years ago,
“All disease begins in the gut,” and Jordan and I both believe it is crucial that if you’re
going to heal your thyroid, your adrenals, your hormones, any area of your body, you’ve
got to heal and seal that gut lining first and repopulate the good bacteria in your gut. And Jordan, we mentioned B vitamins earlier
and how crucial they are to health, but here’s the problem. Some of you are getting B vitamins in some
of your food. You maybe even taking a B vitamin supplement,
but you’re not absorbing all of the B vitamins you should be or even producing enough yourself,
and that’s where probiotics come in. They increase absorption, increase digestion,
so your body could absorb and get more of that thiamine and folate, and vitamin B12
that your body has to have in order for the thyroid to function properly. And Jordan, I know you are one of the pioneers
of probiotic supplements out there, specifically soil-based organisms. So, what do people need to know about probiotics
specifically when it comes both to the gut and thyroid health? Jordan: Now, just so you all know, pioneer
is not synonymous with old. I just want you to know. Pioneer could be very new pioneer. Probiotics and fermented foods are critical
for your digestive tract. And they are now saying that probably half
or 75% of the people with thyroid issues also have leaky gut syndrome or gut hyperpermeability. Probiotics are a must. Consuming a probiotic supplement is important. Now, probiotics, particularly the bacillus
genus, generate proteolytic enzymes 24 hours a day. They are enzyme factories. When you have thyroid issues, it’s critical
that you digest your protein properly. So, probiotics are great. Fermented foods are amazing. Even sauerkraut which, I would say, typically,
if you have severe hypothyroidism, stay away from cabbage, but fermented cabbage is different. Kimchi is actually a great food for your thyroid. And we talked about this before, miso is amazing. So, if you’re going to do a power broth, we
talked about our four-kingdom broth, doing a bone broth with an additional miso in it
would be absolutely awesome. Miso, natto, even tempeh, those types of fermented
soy, in small amounts, can be very beneficial. You know what’s not beneficial? We didn’t mention this, soy and gluten. Dr. Axe: Oh, gosh. Jordan: But we didn’t put this down, so I’m
going to skip over that. But if you have hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s
thyroiditis, or undiagnosed low thyroid, remember low energy, hair loss or thinning, dry skin,
mood swings, gut issues, weight gain and weight loss difficulty, gluten and soy . . . so,
gluten and phytates are a no-no, and we’re going to talk about that a little bit with
the diet. Dr. Axe: Absolutely. Let’s jump right in here, Jordan, the ideal
diet when it comes to healing your thyroid, Hashimoto’s disease, and any type of thyroid
issues. You know, Jordan, one of the questions we
get so often when we talk about the thyroid is will this diet help not just hypothyroidism,
would also Hashimoto’s, Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism? Jordan: Absolutely. Now, most of what you’re going to see here
will help both thyroid conditions. However, if you have hyperthyroid, you probably
don’t want excess iodine. You don’t want supplemental iodine. You may not want a lot of sea veggies. But if you’ve got thyroid imbalance which
almost everybody does, a good diet to be on or at least to try out would be a higher fat,
moderate protein, and limited starch and sugar diet. So, eat simply. Meat and vegetables, broths are really good. You talk about one pot all the time because
you can get all of these benefits. We also believe that consuming coconut products. Oil, and coconut butter, coconut meat are
all great for the thyroid. We’ve heard about coconut oil being a miracle
for the thyroid. I think that’s a tad bit exaggerated, but
if you want to try coconut oil, two to four tablespoons a day. Medium-chain fatty acids are great for the
thyroid. They’re easily metabolized and they’re wonderful. But try a higher fat-moderate protein diet,
cut out the gluten, cut out the cow’s mild dairy unless it’s beta casein A1-free, remove
soy, and don’t rely as heavily on non-sprouted legumes and beans, peanuts included. So, those are all going to potentially bind
to your thyroid due to lectins. Dr. Axe: Yeah. I want to give you an idea of maybe what this
ideal diet looks like for hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s disease, and really, any type
of thyroid issues, Jordan. I would start off every morning with a bone
broth smoothie. We talked about, in Chinese medicine, dark-colored
fruits specifically are very nourishing to the thyroid, so a blueberry smoothie. I do a scoop of a bone broth powder. I would do one cup of blueberries. I do some coconut milk. And that’s really the ideal sort of smoothie
there for breakfast, for lunch and dinner both. I mean, ideally, one of the things you’re
going to be focusing on is getting some broth in. So, I would do maybe a chicken broth or a
fish broth soup. You know, one of the other things you can
do, Jordan, I recommended doing a mushroom miso soup with some shitakes, some . . . Jordan: Shroom broth. Dr. Axe: Some shroom broth, absolutely amazing
there. Jordan: And you can mix salad bone broth,
too. Dr. Axe: That’s fantastic. And then, for dinner, I would recommend doing,
you know . . . and let me say this. If you’re going to do any type of grain, we
don’t recommend many grains if you’re struggling with any type of autoimmune issue. But specifically for the thyroid, if one grain
is going to be okay, it’s going to be a sprouted, long-cooked rice, actually, even a dark forbidden
rice in the crockpot that’s sprouted. You can go online and just Google search on
amazon.com or go to health food store, find sprouted rice, and that’s going to be the
least damaging to the body. So, again, doing sprouted rice. And then, for dinner some organic meat. Maybe a piece of a wild-caught salmon, Jordan,
with double sides of cooked vegetables, that’s sort of what the ideal meal plan looks like
for somebody struggling with Hashimoto’s. Jordan: I’m smiling because we’re entertaining
some guests tonight and what we’re doing is we’re having roasted chicken and we’re having
sprouted black rice in a base of bone broth with peas. It’s kind of cool because the black rice is
really purple rice, by the way, and one good brand, Lotus Foods makes it, several others. You can also get black quinoa. So, you’re getting the same antioxidants in
blueberries. So, you’ve already had that amazing smoothie
in the morning with bone broth, coconut, and blueberries. So, you got the high dark-colored fruits,
you’ve got bone broth, you’ve got coconut. And now, for dinner, the rice can be really
good. But look for dark-colored grains. Even if you’re going to consume a grain, there’s
really cool purple corn from Peru. I don’t recommend a lot of it, but those are
all super high in antioxidants and you can impress your friends with them, too, because
black rice is just awesome. It’s really cool. Dr. Axe: Yeah. I do want to mention again, cook it longer. Cook it in a crockpot or pressure cooker is
a great place. Jordan: Bone broth, no water, so you’re infusing
it with nutrients. Dr. Axe: Yeah, absolutely. Jordan, let’s do a quick rundown here and
then answer some questions here as well. Let’s do our quick one-minute rundown. Why don’t we take turns? You do one, I’ll do two, you do three, and
we’ll go through this. Jordan: Absolutely. So, thyroid-boosting foods. Wild salmon is great for antioxidants and
omega-3 fats. Also, it’s a source of iodine. Bone broth, a great source of proteins for
healing your thyroid. Seaweed is a good source of iodine and minerals. Fish roe is a good source of everything. It’s brain-boosting. And berries have anthocyanins that are dark
in color providing powerful antioxidants. Dr. Axe: Absolutely. Some of the key nutrients here. Remember, B vitamins, these are crucial for
the health of your thyroid, specifically thiamine, folate, and vitamin B12 are critical. Iodine is important. Do be conscious though of your iodine supplementation
if you have an autoimmune condition, specifically Graves’ disease, in the amount you’re taking. Again, you may want to work with a natural
practitioner with that if you do have Graves’. Selenium, again, 200 micrograms a day, a great
source of those is Brazil nuts. And vitamin B3, I would say, days you’re not
getting sun, especially 5,000 IU to 10,000 IU a day, without a doubt, everybody should
be doing that in the winter months. Jordan: Absolutely. Adaptogenic herbs such as ashwagandha, rhodiola,
ginseng, American ginseng, eleuthero, astragalus, and licorice, and holy basil, make sure to
consume adaptogenic herbs in teas and supplement every day no matter who you are. Dr. Axe: Absolutely. Detoxifying herbs here. I want to mention actually shilajit. Now, in traditional Chinese medicine, that’s
known as a detoxifying/ . . . they even call it an adaptogen shilajit which is pretty incredible,
detoxifying herbs, milk thistle contains silymarin, one of the best, turmeric, cilantro, broccoli
seed, dandelion, chlorella. All of these support the liver in your detoxification
channels. We know toxicity has been linked with thyroid
problems. Jordan: Absolutely, especially heavy metals. Some of the favorite essential oils, I’ll
just go with three: frankincense, lemon, and lavender. They are a powerful threesome for your thyroid. So, go ahead and use essential oils topically,
inhale them, and take them orally everyday as long as they’re organic and marked as a
dietary supplement. Dr. Axe: Absolutely. Medicinal mushrooms here, some are our favorites. Lion’s mane which we know, in particular,
is also good for the but-brain connection as well as the thyroid. Reishi, maybe the most powerful of the bunch
in terms of its clinical studies, and cordyceps, talk about a natural energy booster and endurance
enhancer. These are all fantastic mushrooms when it
comes to the health of your thyroid. Jordan: And because nearly half, if not 75%,
of those with thyroid issues also have leaky gut, probiotics and fermented foods. We’re talking about sauerkraut, miso, kefir,
and more. Get fermented foods and probiotics in your
diet to generate enzymes and boost immunity. Dr. Axe: And last but not least, get rid of
the processed sugar in your diet, get rid of the gluten, get rid of soy and GMO foods. You got to get those completely out of your
diet and I even say you got to be careful of over consuming carbohydrates and sugar. Those will definitely weigh down your gut
and your thyroid there as well. Consume lots of healthy fats. Coconut oil, avocado and some omega-3s wild-caught
salmon in your diet, and then lots of good sources of amino acid like bone broth and
cooked vegetables, that’s an ideal diet for the thyroid. Jordan, let’s jump to some questions here
from people, see what they have to say. Anthony says, “I’ve heard chaga is also great
along with reishi for thyroid health.” Jordan: Now, keep in mind, every nation and
culture has their favorite mushroom, their favorite herb, and their favorite fruit. So, pomegranate’s not any worse than acai. They’re both amazing. Chaga is awesome. Chaga is the most famed mushroom of Russia. It’s really not a mushroom. It’s actually a tree fungus, but it is awesome
for your skin. It’s really, really great. It’s the best, probably, for a shroom broth,
actually, because it’s the most similar in my mind to a bone broth. Absolutely, chaga is great. Dr. Axe: All right. A question here, “What do look for when buying
a supplement brand or your favorite supplement brand? What do you look for in a supplement brand?” Jordan: Well, when you’re looking for supplements,
I really recommend whole food, organic, digestive-focused. I formulated hundreds of supplements over
the years and those are really the pillars that I formulate from. You want whole or real food. You want something that is organic or the
very least, contains organic ingredients, and you want a digestive focus because the
gut really is the key to overall health. Dr. Axe: Someone asked a question here and
it’s a great question. From Jamie, she says, “How would you eat like
this on a budget?” So, Jamie, my answer is this, is that use
a crockpot. I really think if you go out . . . like, Jordan,
I go to my local farmers’ market is one thing. And sometimes, we’ll buy in bulk. But you know, I’ll go and buy organic chicken
from my local farmers’ market, and actually get chicken feet and backs, and actually,
make those . . . make my own broth in the crockpot. That’s one great way. Add in chicken. Have your own garden, or again, shop at your
farmers’ market. Even places like Costco have a lot of organic
options today. So, I would say doing big bowls of bone broth
soup is a great . . . and using, again even sprouted rice, and that goes a long way. So, doing that in a crockpot . . . again,
remember, I really believe diet is number one there. And you don’t need to take 10, 7. It’s maybe pick . . . Jordan, what would be
your one or two top supplements or herbs or things to take for somebody if they’re doing
this on a budget? Jordan: Well, first of all, if you are on
a budget, you can buy bulk herbs online or your local health food store. And we’ve talked about this before, you can
make a tea or decoction three times with one tablespoon of herbs. So, as far as supplements go, I think for
thyroid, I’d be kind of torn between a probiotic and adaptogenic herbal formula, and something
that has these nutrients in it. So, I think it’s kind of a tossup, but . . . and,
of course, medicinal mushrooms are great. But if you’re on a budget, try to do it with
no supplements or find a thyroid-supporting supplement that has all of these in there:
mushrooms, probiotics, herbs, and vitamins. They are out there. Dr. Axe: Absolutely here. A couple more questions here and then we’ll
wrap up here. Let’s see here. “Is there something specific . . . ” Sarita
asked, “What recommendations do you guys have for hyperthyroidism?” With hyperthyroidism, it really is the same
thing here. I mean, I really believe that, again, we got
to heal and seal the gut lining. Your body might be reacting differently than
somebody with hypo, but I really believe it’s all about healing and sealing that gut lining. So, I would say the same thing in terms of
following the diet, getting probiotics are huge, and ashwagandha. I think it’s a great herb for anybody there. Let’s see here. One more question here. Okay, “Please take a picture of the board
and post it online.” We’ll definitely do that. And then, Carolyn, last question, she says,
“What would you recommend for somebody who’s on a plant-based diet, who doesn’t eat meat?” Jordan: Well, we talked about this. Seaweed is important. Remember, we said shroom broth. So, go ahead and make a mushroom broth with
seaweed and coconut. It is a bomb. That’s shroom broth. Dr. Axe: I totally agree. Jordan: And it’s not exactly like bone broth
and I would still say bone broth is amazing, but if you’re on a plant-based diet, that’s
important. Chia and flaxseed, particularly chia, are
really good for the thyroid. And all of these herbs are plant-based. Now, you can still consume a lower carbohydrate,
higher fat and protein diet, even plant-based, more nuts, not legumes . . . more nuts, seeds,
and fats, and veggies. You can still do it, particularly, with shroom
broths. Dr. Axe: Yeah. And I would say, when you’re eating grains
get sprouted quinoa and sprouted rice. Make those your two go-to grains. And I would also say this. If you are on a plant-based diet, it’s even
more important that you’re getting a couple of things here. Probiotics and a good B complex vitamin, especially
getting B12 on your diet, I think that’s going to be incredible. Jordan: And sunshine for vitamin D. Dr. Axe: And vitamin D. So, get those things
if you’re on a plan-based diet. Jordan: Make sure that you tell somebody who
needs to boost their thyroid, if they lack energy, if they are depressed, if they’re
overweight, you know somebody like that, tell them to check out this video because these
keys will help them heal their thyroid and transform their life. Dr. Axe: Hi, Dr. Axe here. I want to say thanks so much for checking
out this YouTube video, and also, don’t forget to subscribe. If you want to get more great content on things
like herbs, essential oils, natural remedies, and how to use food as medicine, also check
out more of our content on my YouTube channel. Thanks for watching.

I am also on methadone and have been for years and am now in the proccess of weening off, I also have severe hypothyroidism.. I really need help. Doctors aren’t helping and I can barely take care of my son, I’m only 27

2008 I thought I was going nuts! I was in a huge identity crisis, I was in my first term in master degree, and I was concerned about my mother's health. In the middle of all that I had those crazy symptoms. Every single physician I went to told me it's psychosomatic. 🤬🤬🤬 I started doubting myself. Then I went to two more doctors who changed my life for ever. I realized I had Crhon’s disease. Then, as a complication, I had vitamin D dificiency. As a consequence, I ended up with Auto immune thyroiditi (Hashimoto.) All that happend within a year! As much as it's difficult to live with all that, I'm happy to know what is going on with me and be aware of my condition and make autonomous decisions.

I was diagnosed with under active thyroid since I was a toddler since then I have been on a medication called oroxine and now am 51 getting menaupuse which I get very sweaty which I take four capsules a day of evening primrose oil as well I do eat salmon and take fish oil capsules eat avocados also nuts except peanuts as am allergic to it and don’t eat coriander herb. But do eat eggs too I also use organic butter and almond milk too sometimes I eat lamb liver grilled or lightly fried I do eat sweet potatoes 🍠 too as well as mushrooms 🍄 etc

My mom is 72 living in south America, she had gautier in her 30s she had surgery to remove it and been taking meds since, now She's having a lot of complaints, like no energy, pain in her knees and legs depressed, thin hair ,dry skin ,slow heart rate, irregular bowel movements, weight gain cant skeep at night, can't wakeup in morning and many more ,I'm trying to help her with food and herbs . I bought her kelp tablets and b _12 ,and but most of vegetables and herbs you mentioned can't be found un south America, my question is since her glands is removed ,what is best for her .can she get help with herbs and food ,does she still have to take her med ,She's talking levothyroxine. Can she get off meds .

Iodine should be avoided in cases of hypothyroidism especially related to Hashimoto's, as it will stimulate the thyroid more, and thus cause the antibodies to destroy yet more thyroid tissue. Iodine is a big one to avoid nowadays.

I lovel to make oxtail bone broth and smoked turkey leg bone broth, that's what I eat the most being hypothyroidism. I eat mines as a soup with with vegetables, spices and herbs for at least 8 hours. I try not let anything go to waste.

I've treated with the same endocrinologist since 1993 and he has NEVER attempted to discover the root cause of my hypothyroidism. He, at least before the big health insurance industry changes, kept me on a name brand thyroid medication. But now, he's had me on a generic synthetic med for years. Until I started my own research recently, I had no idea that there are natural alternatives to healing.

These videos are very informative…but… Where do you get all these products: for example oidine, what source do you recommend as well as selenium, as all the others? Which vitd3 do you recommend best and if this vitamin should be mixed with Vit k or coconut oil. I have goiter and hipo but with negative blood results. But a scan showed a nodule at my right side of my thyroid and a cyst at the left.But also at the left breast are few cysts. More results as Osteopenia, arthritis, colitis, gastritis, and diverticula in my sigmoid. In my eyes blepharitis…they also get swollen. Please help. I'm 53.

Dr. Axe, How can i get rid of mucous in my throat on keto when, i drink goats milk and use heavycream and half and half alot. Can i eat pineapple ? Im also hypothyrodism. I drink bone broth everyday with golden milk and a organic 10 mushroom tea with all the mushrooms you named, and chaga .Can i email you personal questions?

Women in my family have died of hypothyroidism. My daughter I has chosen to be a vegetarian and doesn’t eat fish or meat. Can you please do a session on hypothyroidism especially for vegetarians,ThanksHeather

Hello!!! I would like to know that is galactorrhea caused by hypothyroidism?! I am on a herbal diet for almost a month and it has controlled my breast discharge a lot. I am a single 33 years old female. Waiting for your reply and kind advice!!

Thankyou so much for your presentation, I have received a lot of great advice. However, a a person who has Hashimoto's disease, a piece of advice is not to recommend people with a thyroid condition to consume more iodine foods. This is because the iodine affects people who are on thyroid medication; it actually stops the medication from working and can actually put the thyroid to sleep. My endocrinologist told me this and I have tested this advice. I have increased my iodine foods and my thyroid medication stopped working and I became very tired, lethargic and depressed. Iodine foods are great for a normal working thyroid, but they need to be limited unfortunately.

I’ve been on levothyroxine 50 mcg for 7 years. Dr put me on them when I was having trouble being tired. He never tested my blood, until months later. Now I have heard that the medication makes your thyroid stop working, so will have to take medicine forever??Having trouble with teeth shifting and getting loose, and developed rheumatoid arthritis, any ideas??Love you guys

This is amazing! Thanks gentlemen. So my body this week has been telling me to put iodine directly over my thyroid. I have a really pure brand recommended by my homeopathic doc that I put in a roller ball and apply directly to my skin. I didn’t know why I had that thought to put iodine over my thyroid…but I listened to my body. And did it. Then tonight, it hit me and I have a suspicion that I have hypothyroidism. I started researching like crazy. All those symptoms are me to a T. I’ve been struggling with these symptoms since I was 18. I am almost 26 now. I also have a lump that I can feel where my thyroid is. Just discovered that today. I’m going to go get it checked out. And I will be implementing this advice. Thanks a bunch!

I suffer from hypothyroidism, but there is no easy fix for it. This dietary advice is fine, but does not really do much for people who truly suffer from hypothyroidism. People should be really careful with consumption of iodine.

Please do not listen to these guys— True diagnosis of Hypo and Hyper Thyroidism requires synthetic T4 (eltroxin or synthroid) and/or T3 (Cytomel). I have Hashimotos and my daughter has had Graves and insulin dependant Diabetes. I have spoken to Endocrinologists for the last 43yrs… If not treated than it can lead to Myxedema (life threatening coma) .It can NOT be cured by drinking bone broth or seaweed. These guys are ridiculous… and dangerous !!

Gluten, dairy, soy and sugar cause leaky gut. These foods in the blood stream look like thyroid cells and so the immune system destroys thyroid cells while attacking the inflammatory food molecules. That's the basis of Hashimotos. Eliminating these inflammatory foods and taking supplements heals the thyroid and improves function.

I’m a male 40 years old diagnosed with under active thyroid ( hashimoto ). I was diagnosed at age 27 on oroxine medication. I take men’s multi vitamins Centrum, Vitamin d 1000u. Fish oil liquid tuermic and magnesium at night. I noticed last couple years I suffer mild anxiety and mood swings. and body aches mostly in the legs and lower me back. Always still feel tired